Life is expected to return to normal for much of Greater Waterbury today, after a tropical storm that produced hurricane-level winds toppled trees and snapped wires Monday night into Tuesday.

Superstorm Sandy knocked out electricity to more than half a million households in Connecticut, shut down highways and closed schools and businesses, but spared the region from the worst.

"We dodged a bullet," Prospect Mayor Robert J. Chatfield said. "The town's up and running."

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 135 households in Prospect remained without power, according to Connecticut Light & Power Co. During last year's October snowstorm, residents lost power for five to seven days.

The town's emergency shelter at the firehouse and the emergency operations center were both closed Tuesday morning, Chatfield said. Only two people used the shelter Monday night.

Waterbury also escaped without any storm-related injuries, but emergency crews responded to several dozen reports of downed trees and power lines, including several that fell on cars, homes, and apartment buildings.

Nine residents, some of whom were homeless, stayed Monday night in the Red Cross emergency shelter at Waterbury Arts Magnet School, said shelter manager Steve Traver. The shelter remained open Tuesday night — with 4 percent of the city's CL&P customers without power — but was moved to the North End Recreation Center at 268 North Main St.

Public schools in Waterbury are open today. While students may be disappointed about attending school on Halloween, Mayor Neil O'Leary offered some comfort.

"Yes, Halloween is definitely happening," O'Leary posted on his Twitter page at 3:50 p.m. "Mischief Night, however, has been canceled."

In Southbury, residents counted their blessings that they weren't living in neighboring Newtown, where 97 percent of homes were in the dark. As of Tuesday night, 32 percent of Southbury lacked power, according to CL&P.

"We're in reasonably good shape," First Selectman Ed Edelson said. "Obviously, we are very lucky that there were no injuries or fatalities."

He said the biggest concern remained the Pomperaug Woods assisted living complex on Heritage Road, where a generator was providing partial power. The electricity went out after a transformer exploded on nearby Pine Hill Road.

The recovery was quicker in Wolcott. Downed trees closed Long Swamp Road, Central Avenue, Kilmartin Avenue, and Brooks Hill Road Monday night. All roads had been reopened as of 11:15 a.m., according to Police Chief Edward Stephens.

At its peak, there were 1,136 Wolcott households without electricity. By late Tuesday morning, that number had dropped to 352 — or 5 percent of the town. CL&P moved a crew assigned to Wolcott to part of the state where it was more badly needed, Stephens said.

In Middlebury, where 35 percent of the town was without power Tuesday morning, First Selectman Edward B. St. John said he was pleased with CL&P's response to the storm. Twenty-three percent of the town lacked power as of 6:20 p.m., according CL&P.

"I would say we are seeing 100 percent improvement with CL&P's response," St. John said. "They assigned crews right to the town. They worked together to get these roads open."

Fire Chief Paul J. Perrotti said the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department responded to one call of a tree falling on a home on White Avenue. No one was injured.

In neighboring Oxford, about 42 percent of CL&P customers remained without power Tuesday. One family used the town's emergency shelter at Oxford High School Monday night after a poplar tree fell onto their house on Dorman Road, ambulance officials said.

Further south, 15 roads in Seymour were blocked Tuesday morning, including a tree down with wires in front of Seymour Middle School. Thomas Eighmie, the town's emergency management director, said wind gusts measured 60 to 70 mph during the worst of the storm.

Emergency officials opened a charging and showering facility at Seymour Middle School on Tuesday evening, and will reopen it from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. As of 7 p.m., 4,112 customers, or 54 percent of the town, were in the dark.

CL&P, along with a town crew, worked overnight Tuesday to clear roads so the restoration process could resume today.

Meanwhile, crews in Woodbury worked to open roads closed by fallen trees and downed power lines. By 5 p.m. Tuesday, officials had reopened Great Hollow Road, Upper Grassy Hill Road, North Forty Road, and Quassuk Road, while continuing to work on Flanders Road, according to First Selectman Gerald D. Stomski.

Town offices were closed Tuesday due to lack of power. Stomski expected they would be closed today as well. The town is operating a generator at the Senior and Community Center for the public to use.

Trick or Trunk Night is still being planned for tonight in the Hollow Park. Officials suggest that parents bring their children to the Hollow instead of going door to door because there still some power lines down.

In Naugatuck, town employees and CL&P crews were expected to finish clearing debris Tuesday, according to Mayor Robert A. Mezzo. After that was done, linemen could begin restoring power, he said.

Naugatuck closed its emergency shelters Tuesday, but residents may fill their containers with non-drinkable water at the Naugatuck Fire Station, 41 Maple St., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.

Schools will be closed once again today because some power lines are still down. Officials expect all the lines to be repaired by tonight.

Halloween trick-or-treating will be allowed.

but parents are being urged to take extra precautions.

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